In 2008, Microsoft released a new update to Zune software, adding a load of content and functionality to users. Here we review the Zune's Spring Update, looking at what benefits it gives to users and the new features it provides.
Want to buy the right Zune? Read Choosing a Zune: Which Zune is the best buy for you?The Zune Spring Update, new features and release notes: [Image 1]Content
- TV shows: The Zune finally adds a bevy of video content, providing over 500 network television shows for purchase and download. Shows include COMEDY CENTRAL’s “South Park,” FUNimation’s “Afro Samurai” and “Witchblade,” MTV’s “The Hills,” NBC’s “The Office,” “Heroes” and “30 Rock,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” SCI FI Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica” and “Eureka,” Starz’s “Ghost in the Shell” and “Street Fighter,” Turner Broadcasting’s “Metalocalypse” and “Robot Chicken,” UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter®” and “Fight Night™,” and VH1’s “Rock of Love” with Bret Michaels.
- Music Videos: Artist pages now have music videos of top songs available for download as well. [Image 2]
Community
- Zune Card sharing: Zune Cards can now be downloaded to your Zune, allowing users to keep up to date on what their friends are listening to.
- Integration software: Messaging, friend invites, and other community features can now be embedded into the software, instead of requiring users to visit Zune.net.
- Reviews and comments: Users can review music or drop comments on artist pages quickly and easily inside the software.
- Achievements: You can now get little graphical icons for your Zune Card categorized by various achievements, such as being the top listener for an artist.
- Friends: Finding new friends is much easier now that you can search by location and other personal profile information. [Image 3]
Functionality
- Metadata editing made easy: By simply right-clicking a name or album, you can quickly edit the metadata text. You can also add album art by dragging picture files onto blank albums.
- Autoplaylists: You can dynamically generate playlists, filtering by genre, artist, length, and other criteria.
- Gapless playback: For concept or live albums, it can be important to play tracks continuously. Gapless playback eliminates pauses between songs if users enable this option.
- Better Syncing: Multiple Zunes can now be synced on one computer, and by drag-and-dropping content to a Zune icon, the software will remember and wait until the Zune is connected and sync automatically.
- Browse by Genre: In addition to browsing by artist and album, you can finally browse by genre.
Interested in other Zune content:>>> What is the Zune? Can it compete with the Apple iPod>>> The Zune Marketplace: Enjoying your Zune to the max!>>> The Zune Social: The iPod and Zune Community Zones